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View Full Version : Qatar X-Cat Boat Goes Airborne



H2O Full Throttle
06-04-2009, 05:17 PM
Video clip of the Qatar X Cat boat going up and over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ4CM0rLlYY

Ratickle
06-04-2009, 05:22 PM
Hey Ned.

You're gonna have to explain that one to me. I would say the first boat cut the second (White) boat off and the rooster is what he rode up and caused the flip.

Isn't the rule you have to be farther in front than your roost before cutting in?

T2x
06-05-2009, 08:20 AM
Hey Ned.

You're gonna have to explain that one to me. I would say the first boat cut the second (White) boat off and the rooster is what he rode up and caused the flip.

Isn't the rule you have to be farther in front than your roost before cutting in?

There clearly was a lane at the buoy...a narrow lane but a lane nonetheless...the Qatar boat elected to move into the roostertail or allow the tail to move in front of them.

Sometimes I think that, in calm water at least, race boats need one driver with a foot throttle. With two guys, each one sometimes thinks that the other guy is doing all of the thinking (racing by committee). Obviously in this instance nobody was thinking about avoiding the rooster tail. Rule 1 is NEVER drive into/onto a rooster tail with a tunnel boat......even if it means going off course.

T2x

Ratickle
06-05-2009, 08:28 AM
There clearly was a lane at the buoy...a narrow lane but a lane nonetheless...the Qatar boat elected to move into the roostertail or allow the tail to move in front of them.

Sometimes I think that, in calm water at least, race boats need one driver with a foot throttle. With two guys, each one sometimes thinks that the other guy is doing all of the thinking (racing by committee). Obviously in this instance nobody was thinking about avoiding the rooster tail. Rule 1 is NEVER drive into/onto a rooster tail with a tunnel boat......even if it means going off course.

T2x

It looked like when he went over, he landed right by the buoy. But you don't think he was squeezed?

Or even if he was, what would you do?

When I watched it, I was sure it was gonna happen as the roost came closer and closer. I know that is usually the issue in Steve David's Unlimited's sport also.

T2x
06-05-2009, 09:12 AM
It looked like when he went over, he landed right by the buoy. But you don't think he was squeezed?

Or even if he was, what would you do?

Let me see........ Rooster tail to the left.....open water to the right.......hmmmmmm? What do I do now? Let me see....no don't tell me, I wanna do this myself...... Uhhh....ummm..... Gee the rooster tail is moving over towards me....golly..... what do I do? My goodness, this is hard (especially in Arabic).....! Oops, there's some mist starting to hit my left picklefork!!!!! Oh darn....I wish I was more decisive!..... Maybe I should back off???? NO!!!! I might lose the race!....Gosh what to do...what to do? Oh well let's just see what happens if I do nothing....... UMMM? Where did the horizon go?...... Ouch!!!!! WTF was that?????? Gee was that my crotch? Where's Sahib? Whose arm is this? Funny, there was a steering wheel there a minute ago.....! Oh look a nice man is wiping that red stuff of my face. Something tastes funny. What's the needle for??????? Oh my! That feels goo-oo-ood.... g'nite.

Ratickle
06-05-2009, 09:24 AM
Let me see........ Rooster tail to the left.....open water to the right.......hmmmmmm? What do I do now? Let me see....no don't tell me, I wanna do this myself...... Uhhh....ummm..... Gee the rooster tail is moving over towards me....golly..... what do I do? My goodness, this is hard (especially in Arabic).....! Oops, there's some mist starting to hit my left picklefork!!!!! Oh darn....I wish I was more decisive!..... Maybe I should back off???? NO then I would lose the race!....Gosh what to do...what to do. Oh well let's just see what happens if I do nothing....... UMMM? Where did the horizon go?...... Ouch!!!!! WTF was that?????? Gee was that my crotch? Were's Sahib? Whose arm is this? Funny there was a steering wheel there a minute ago.....! Oh look a nice man is wiping that red stuff of my face. Something tastes funny. What's the needle for??????? Oh my! That feels goo-oo-ood.... g'nite.

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

I was talking about the buoy in front. It looked to me as if he would have had to slow down. The front boat looked to be less than a boat width from the buoy.

Or you think there was barely enough room to brush the buoy and stay out of the tail?

T2x
06-05-2009, 09:43 AM
Or you think there was barely enough room to brush the buoy and stay out of the tail?

Yep........

Ratickle
06-05-2009, 09:53 AM
Yep........

Okay, thanks. It would have been real tight. In knee-bangers we were supposed to leave double the roost width if there was a boat within roost distance. But, ........

T2x
06-05-2009, 09:58 AM
Okay, thanks. It would have been real tight. In knee-bangers we were supposed to leave double the roost width if there was a boat within roost distance. But, ........

As far as I know the old "lane rules" have been almost abolished (forgotten) by the various Offshore racing fraternities. To be honest I stopped reading the rules a few years ago (too much emphasis on "legal" GM carb gaskets...too little on competition)...so maybe there has been an update that I am unaware of. However, the last race I attended had half the fleet pushing the other half into the specatator fleet in a turn where they proceeded on plane and at speed without penalty........ so I can't imagine that enforcement is worth a Fiddler's F**k. However, if your GPS recorded a top speed of 75.2 mph in the 75 mph bracket class...you were disqualified. :p

T2x

audacity
06-05-2009, 10:12 AM
bummer...qatar could have backed out way before this went down. they chose not to.

xcat, i my mind, is some of the best racing in offshore history!

Scarab KV
06-05-2009, 10:14 AM
Let me see........ Rooster tail to the left.....open water to the right.......hmmmmmm? What do I do now? Let me see....no don't tell me, I wanna do this myself...... Uhhh....ummm..... Gee the rooster tail is moving over towards me....golly..... what do I do? My goodness, this is hard (especially in Arabic).....! Oops, there's some mist starting to hit my left picklefork!!!!! Oh darn....I wish I was more decisive!..... Maybe I should back off???? NO!!!! I might lose the race!....Gosh what to do...what to do? Oh well let's just see what happens if I do nothing....... UMMM? Where did the horizon go?...... Ouch!!!!! WTF was that?????? Gee was that my crotch? Where's Sahib? Whose arm is this? Funny, there was a steering wheel there a minute ago.....! Oh look a nice man is wiping that red stuff of my face. Something tastes funny. What's the needle for??????? Oh my! That feels goo-oo-ood.... g'nite.

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Ryan Beckley
06-05-2009, 10:56 AM
The finish line was JUST past the buoy they ended up next to. They probably should have nipped the buoy and may have not turned over. This was going on at about 110.....The orange boat (Giovanni) won the championship.

Ratickle
06-05-2009, 11:03 AM
The finish line was JUST past the buoy they ended up next to. They probably should have nipped the buoy and may have not turned over. This was going on at about 110.....The orange boat (Giovanni) won the championship.

Thanks Ryan...



What is the lane rule for WPPA?

Ratickle
06-05-2009, 11:04 AM
:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Think that may have happened to Rich?????:)

T2x
06-05-2009, 11:17 AM
Think that may have happened to Rich?????:)

Oh yes...............but never from climbing a rooster tail.

Ratickle
06-05-2009, 11:23 AM
Oh yes...............but never from climbing a rooster tail.

Somehow I can't imagine a safety program called "Avoid the Tail" catching on anytime soon.....:sifone:

phragle
06-05-2009, 11:25 AM
looks like the door got closed on him......

Sean H
06-05-2009, 11:42 AM
they landed in the inside lane at the buoy, maybe they should of ran there instead... looks like good racing to me.

the leader took the preferred line through the corner (swept it), qatar had a choice to take the inside and scrub speed or go through the tail, looks like a bad choice in hindsight.

SVL66
06-05-2009, 11:45 AM
is is just me, or did the driver climb out of a hole in the canopy, not the hatch?

Geronimo36
06-05-2009, 11:48 AM
is is just me, or did the driver climb out of a hole in the canopy, not the hatch?
did one of the drivers fly out of the boat??? Can't tell for sure but it looks like one one was standing up and the other one (or some object) was thrown off the front of the bow and into the water just ahead of the boat after it settled down??????

Ratickle
06-05-2009, 11:54 AM
they landed in the inside lane at the buoy, maybe they should of ran there instead... looks like good racing to me.

the leader took the preferred line through the corner (swept it), qatar had a choice to take the inside and scrub speed or go through the tail, looks like a bad choice in hindsight.

Thanks Sean. Both of you say enough room, I'm satisfied.

No matter what, it was a bad choice in hindsight......:)

ThrottleUp Props
06-05-2009, 12:16 PM
I can tell you the fleet does not feel that way.

They were ALL up in arms over that move and I am not just speaking of Mohammad and Khalid, the Qatar/Delma team!

Julie

AugiePensa
06-05-2009, 12:35 PM
Thats how we spun out last year when I got thrown out. Kevin elected to TRY making a sharp left turn around turn 3 with two other boats along side us instead of going across the wakes, hence The Condo's a$$ went airborne, spun out and I went for an expensive swim. No ones fault but ours, just glad they are alright.

glassdave
06-05-2009, 02:00 PM
is is just me, or did the driver climb out of a hole in the canopy, not the hatch?


did kinda look like that.

T2x
06-05-2009, 02:26 PM
looks like the door got closed on him......

If the door got closed on him there would have been no space next to the turn buoy. He left a lane... a narrow lane...but a lane nonetheless. From the video it does not appear that the lead boat moved over abruptly ......and....in any case the trailing boat had ample water to avoid the roostertail..... I don't see any evasive movement on the trailing boat's part...simply a gradual merge into harm's way. It is always the responsibility of the driver of each boat to maintain his own safety and not point fingers at anyone else. Had there been a fleet of spectator boats, a bulkhead or a stone wall on the starboard side, this would have been a different story...but the trailing boat had plenty of space to move to the right and enough space IMHO to squeeze past the buoy. On the other hand the spacing and lanes are not shown from an overhead perspective so maybe the lead boat was in a long gradual tangent from the intended direction of travel and was deliberately tightening the playing field... regardless it looks like the lead boat had the speed and distance to win anyway.

As far as people/spectators being irate is concerned, you always have to factor supporters, political status, and plain ignorance into those comments.
It has been my experience that oftentimes terms like "You cheated" translate more correctly to "You beat my boyfriend!"

T2x

Ted
06-05-2009, 02:30 PM
It did look like there was a lane at the bouy if you look at where the trail of the orange boat is in the overhead shot as the other boat comes to rest. And the trail did not appear to have wavered that much as he approached the buoy.

Scarab KV
06-05-2009, 02:30 PM
Think that may have happened to Rich?????:)

lol...it seemed like a lot of detail for what "could happen":biggrinjester:

That's why I love read'n these guys posts. They're knowledge, experience and stories that they bring to the game are priceless.

ThrottleUp Props
06-05-2009, 02:30 PM
did kinda look like that.

Right out the windsheild!~:eek:

Safety is ongoing......

Julie

T2x
06-05-2009, 02:55 PM
lol...it seemed like a lot of detail for what "could happen":biggrinjester:

That's why I love read'n these guys posts. They're knowledge, experience and stories that they bring to the game are priceless.

Many years ago I flipped an English Mod U tunnel boat at the finish line of a race on a river..... I have posted pictures of this a few times previously. The shore line behind the start finish dock consisted of a bluff which led up to a road about 60 feet up the slope with a narrow trail through the woods leading up at a steep angle.....

So you have the picture........

Now the details........

After the flip I was semi conscious but not badly injured....(It was just a concussion, and other stuff.....not my private parts or anything important). As I was floating face up courtesy of my Lifeline, I heard a voice yelling at me "Don't move". I did as I was told because in the woozy state I was in, I had an IQ of about 7.
A few moments later I saw a rescue boat approaching (an aluminum flat bottom skiff with a stokes stretcher on board and two EMT's).... One called out "He's over there and he's not moving.....hurry up!" By then I had floated into about 24 inches of water a few yards off the shore. The driver who was tiller steering from the rear and obviously unable to see the intended rescue target proceeded to drive the skiff half over me only stopping when I lay under the middle of the boat with my helmeted head floating on one side and my feet sticking up on the other. They managed to pull me out and place me on the stokes stretcher....strapping me in. I thought this was odd but considering that I couldn't tell you my own name at that point it made some sort of wacky sense to me.

A few seconds later a group of people were attempting to carry me on the stretcher up the slope to a waiting ambulance. This resulted in a series of stops and starts and advancing 2 feet only to slip back 1. After about 3 minutes of being dropped, retrieved, and re-assured, I suddenly snapped out of my trance, shouted out to remove my straps, jumped out of the stretcher and helped the group carry it up the slope. I then jumped back into the stretcher whereupon it was moved into the ambulance and I was whisked off to have my hyper extended hip, pulled groin and bruised ribs tended to....and to get nice pills.

You can't make this stuff up.

T2x

SKATIN
06-05-2009, 03:16 PM
After about 3 minutes of being dropped, retrieved, and re-assured, I suddenly snapped out of my trance, shouted out to remove my straps, jumped out of the stretcher and helped the group carry it up the slope.

T2x

That is one of the best stories I have ever read!!!!

Glad you were ok but that is hilarious!

glassdave
06-05-2009, 03:20 PM
think i saw that on the three stooges once :D

MarylandMark
06-05-2009, 03:52 PM
Good stuff!!

Looks like around 17 seconds lead boat walks over a tad- lane still there but tightened it up considerably.

Ratickle
06-05-2009, 04:09 PM
think i saw that on the three stooges once :D

And which one are you comparing Rich to???????:sifone:

Do you think that's where they got it?????

Scarab KV
06-05-2009, 04:53 PM
That's why I love read'n these guys posts. They're knowledge, experience and stories that they bring to the game are priceless.


I suddenly snapped out of my trance, shouted out to remove my straps, jumped out of the stretcher and helped the group carry it up the slope. I then jumped back into the stretcher whereupon it was moved into the ambulance and I was whisked off to have my hyper extended hip, pulled groin and bruised ribs tended to....and to get nice pills.

You can't make this stuff up.

T2x

Precisely what I mean...funny stuff.

Now if you'l excuse me while I clean the coffee off my monitor:biggrinjester:

SteveDavid
06-08-2009, 10:26 PM
The inevitable became evident. The pedal (or throttle) goes both ways. Sometimes it just isn't your day to win, but it could (and did) become your day to crash when you forgot that some day just wasn't your day to win..... They are alive, probably a little smarter..............
Steve U-1

TYPHOON
06-08-2009, 11:22 PM
Its always better to be a leader than a chaser. In OSS we have a 50' rule that you own any line you want as long as the boat behind you is 50' back. Those X boats are about 30' long and it looked like a boat lenghths lead from what I could see. I am suprised he left him that much room going into the last turn. At 110 MPH and the destortion of your mirros I wouldnt have given that much room. Maybe there rules are differant over there. Its racing and driver skills come into play. If you dont think you can make the pin in your position following that boat then get out of the throttle. If you dont want to do that then take your chances or the other option is miss the turn if you dont feel safe crossing over the roostertail.
Look at it this way, If he would have left even more room and let the boat behind him have the turn on the inside lane and lost the race beacause of his worrys about being not liked by the other team then I as a throttleman would have thrown him out of my boat for loosing the race on such a stupid move. Its racing folks!!!
MD

MOBILEMERCMAN
06-08-2009, 11:43 PM
He flipped and still made it on the proper side of the pin. He had plenty of room.

Driver Error. It was nobodies fault but his own.

audacity
06-09-2009, 12:19 AM
he was just looking to get a bit more compression to get that 4mph he would have needed to get around him in that time period. lol

randy the 50 foot is for overtaking. if you are the lead boat u can give him 5 foot or nothing. if u go around someone, then u have to clear 50 feet before slamming the door.

ThrottleUp Props
06-09-2009, 09:02 AM
The inevitable became evident. The pedal (or throttle) goes both ways. Sometimes it just isn't your day to win, but it could (and did) become your day to crash when you forgot that some day just wasn't your day to win..... They are alive, probably a little smarter..............
Steve U-1

Yes, they are!

Julie

SHARKEY-IMAGES
06-09-2009, 10:04 AM
Tail is one thing, but what many people forget is the air coming off the lead boat is enough to increase the pressure in the following boat's tunnel to create an instant blow over. I watched it happen many times in the APBA SST 45 class. It is not only best to keep away from the rooster tail but leave also enough room for the air coming off the side of the lead boat to avoid the instantaneous pressure.

Drive along side a tractor trailer one day and you will feel the push on your vehicle as you make a pass. :ack2:

Mystic
06-15-2009, 01:31 PM
It really looks like one guy climbs out the window and then the canopy lid opens.....

ThrottleUp Props
06-16-2009, 09:30 AM
It really looks like one guy climbs out the window and then the canopy lid opens.....

That is correct Mystic.

Julie

Ratickle
06-16-2009, 09:42 AM
Tail is one thing, but what many people forget is the air coming off the lead boat is enough to increase the pressure in the following boat's tunnel to create an instant blow over. I watched it happen many times in the APBA SST 45 class. It is not only best to keep away from the rooster tail but leave also enough room for the air coming off the side of the lead boat to avoid the instantaneous pressure.

Drive along side a tractor trailer one day and you will feel the push on your vehicle as you make a pass. :ack2:

Even on the large cats the balance is that close at top speed?

audacity
06-16-2009, 11:08 PM
yes!

balance would not be the correct word. but, i think i understand you.